How do you get a free version of Microsoft PowerPoint? Many people automatically think of PowerPoint when they think of making digital presentations on a computer. In this blog post, we will talk about How do you get a free version of Microsoft PowerPoint and What are the disadvantages of using PowerPoint. So, keep on reading to learn more!
Microsoft’s software has stood the test of time and remains the go-to software for many people more than 30 years after it was introduced. In that time, PowerPoint has undergone many changes, but its main goal remains the same – to help people create great slide shows.
For years, purchasing Office outright was the only way to use Excel. But that changed with the introduction of Office 365 (now Microsoft 365), providing an affordable monthly fee for access to all apps and continuous updates.
Since then, Microsoft releases newer versions of Office apps every so often, such as Office 2021 – which will also soon be under ‘Microsoft 365’. The core feature set however remains constant; the three free methods mentioned in this article are very likely to remain.
Version for the web- Option 1
You will only need a Microsoft account to use Microsoft PowerPoint and other core Office programs online. Click the ‘Sign in’ link at Office.com to enter your details. If you do not yet have an account, click ‘Sign up for the free version of Office’ and follow the instructions.
From your main office homepage, select ‘Create’ and then ‘Presentation’ to open a new PowerPoint presentation.
It’s also possible to create documents in Word and PowerPoint, alongside Outlook and Microsoft Teams, which you can download free of charge. When you work on a file here, it will be saved to OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service. These are all Web Apps, meaning you can only use them via your browser and not a desktop application.
Because Google’s free Docs, Sheets, and Slides software and its integration with Google Drive made it difficult for Microsoft to keep charging users for Microsoft Office, this software is available as a web app.
See how both compare in our guide to the best cloud storage services.
The web version of PowerPoint is a stripped-down version, so comparing it to Google Slides is more reasonable than comparing it to the full desktop program.
Use on mobile devices- Option 2
Microsoft’s Office mobile applications are completely free and are compatible with all modern mobile devices, perhaps in response to Google.
Despite Microsoft reserving some premium features for its Office 365 subscription, the mobile apps are still very capable and offer OneDrive integration.